December 2014 Wrap Up

Eat Pretty: Nutrition For Beauty, Inside and Out - Jolene Hart
I have a full review coming of this book, including my own spin on one of their recipes. My overall opinion was that it was only so-so. What I really liked were the sections for each season which listed ingredients available and what their benefits were. I think these would be helpful in terms of looking for recipes with specific ingredients or a good reference when making shopping lists. What I didn't enjoy about the book (and the reason I didn't completely finish it), was that the author was really driving it down your throat that her skin was horrible until she completely overhauled her diet and now her skin is perfect, so you too must do the same to see real results. I believe more in moderation (I'm a picky eater with a sweet tooth) and I felt I might be more encouraged by the book if she took more of that approach. Instead I focused on the sections which I could adapt to my lifestyle. Additionally I wasn't blown away by any of the recipes (the few there are). Additionally, I have in the past tried supplementing milk with almond milk to see if I saw any differences in my skin and after a month of drinking expensive almond milk, I didn't notice any difference in my skin. From this experience I'm a little dubious that changing one's diet will be effective with everyone's skin.
Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore - Robin Sloan
This I read with the Restricted Section on Goodreads. I didn't participate in any of the discussion though (baby steps). I enjoyed the book, overall, but I didn't really love it. It was cute, easy to read and had enough suspense to keep me reading. The book involves a 20-something graphic designer, out of work because of the recession. He picks up a job at a very unusual bookshop, working the night shift. I think one of the reasons I didn't love it was because I didn't find the love interest convincing at all. Her mannerisms and interactions never seemed very attractive and (she is a Google employee) the scenes at Google seemed too obscure. I am glad I read this because it isn't the type of book I would pick up on my own (reading diversely people!) but I think when it comes to easy, fluffy reads I prefer them in the form of historical fiction or travel memoirs.
If you classify yourself under "book nerd" you will probably really enjoy this.
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
I'd been wanted to watch this movie for a really long time but I am one of those people who needs to read the book first. I'm glad I did too, because the mystery is definitely much more detailed and drawn out. As for why the ending to the movie was better than the book, it seems to have gone over my head. But, for those who have read the book, I didn't like it either. This novel also takes place in the recession where a couple, the Dune's, have relocated to the midwest to be with the husband's  (Nick's) dying mother. The wife (Amy) is generally unhappy and disappears on their anniversary. This book is soooo suspenseful. I read most of it on a 3 hour bus ride and didn't stop until I was finished. In my mind, I've divided the book into two sections, the first which involves more of the mystery aspect, which comes in the form of their traditional anniversary scavenger hunt, and the second part is more of the investigation. I preferred the first half by far. I don't particularly enjoy detective novels but I love mysteries and suspense and this (more specifically, the first part) had boat loads of it.
This is the kind of mystery novel everyone and their mums has read and can enjoy and kept my attention much better than the movie.
Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel 
Bring Up the Bodies - Hilary Mantel
I love historical fiction, especially during the holidays. However, I find the Henry the VIII story a little bit boring. I loved the Tudors but when you are constantly hearing about it in religion and history classes, I can't help but yawn. These stories (part of a trilogy) are a very different spin on the same old tale as they are told through the point of view of Thomas Cromwell. I really enjoyed it as I don't really know much about the Cromwell's and I felt the aspects of the rising middle class and non-aristocratic wealth really interesting. I wouldn't say these books blew me away but I did find it a fresh take on one of my favourite parts of history. I had purchased these for my father for a past Christmas and when I heard it was being adapted for television I thought it would be a good chance to read them over Christmas. Additionally these are both winners of the Man Booker prize which I don't know much about, but I do think for two novels in a series to win such an award, it means they are good books.
These novels I would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and is looking for a new perspective on Tudor England.
Sailor Moon Vol. 1 -Naoko Takeuchi
There's not too much to say about this. As a part of reading diversely, I thought I might read some manga (which I did briefly in elementary school). I chose Sailor Moon because it is currently being re-adapted for television, following the manga. I had also heard that the "english" version was very different from the actual story, which is targeted towards an older demographic (correct me if I'm wrong). It was nice and fluffy and good for reading in-between novels. But seriously did anyone remember Serena being such a cry-baby?!